Welcome to the Rock, Bohemians!

Welcome to the Rock, Bohemians!

(2 Videos, 1 Message)

I'm sure that I'm not the only one of us who gets emails from Broadway shows. And I'm pretty sure, that even if we've already seen the show, we open most of them, right? 

Well, recently - about 10 days ago and yesterday, respectively - I got "we're back" emails from Come From Away and Moulin Rouge! And though I've seen them both (twice!), and probably won't be back soon, I still opened them. Of course, after more than a year of being starved of such information, I'd tear open ANY email from a show. Even a show I hate. But beyond that starvation, opening these two emails over a week and a half apart made me realize a bigger thing about my relationship with my beloved theater.

When I got the message from Come From Away, we were in the midst of the euphoria that "Broadway was back!" I was excited to see that one of my favorites was raring to go. What I didn't expect was my emotional response to the video that was attached:

Readers, I tell you I wept. Never mind the clever re-write of the opening song, or the cameo by Captain Beverly Bass; they were fun and on point, which I've come to expect from CFA. No, what got me was images of the company returning "home" together, full of joy, excitement and gratitude. And the hugs. And the rehearsing on the set, under the bright lights. It was everything that makes live theater so special: artists coming together to make magic as a family of sorts. They make a connection with each other so that they can make a connection with us.

Then, yesterday, I opened my Moulin Rouge! email. 

Readers, I tell you I was overcome with goose bumps. You know the exact kind I mean, too. The kind you get when you are in the theater, and the houselights go dark. In that split second, the real world melts away and the thrill of not knowing what will happen next takes over. Sharp intake of breath in anticipation, and the show starts.

No matter what you think off MR!, you have to admit that they always bring their A-game when it comes to video and imagery. Glitz and glamour, dancing and drama. Sheer theatricality. This 30 seconds is packed with everything that is "Broadway." Spectacular, spectacular, indeed.

The messages, like the shows that sent them, are different ends of the musical spectrum. I'm glad I got them in the order I did. The first allowed me a cathartic reunion with the love I feel for theater. The second allowed me a "recharge" of all the thrills that come from live performance that can't be replicated in a movie (and yes, I recognize the irony of that).

Welcome back.

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